Apparatus for the manufacture of ceramic mosaics



A. VIDA Dec. 19, 1961 APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CERAMIC MOSAICS Original Filed April 15, 1955 I Jill I m z INVENTOR ALEX V/DA A TTORNEYS Ute States Patent f 3,013,370 APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CERAMIC MOSAICS Alex Vida, 1114 York Ave., San Francisco, Calif. (537 Kansas St., San Francisco 10, Calif.) Original application Apr. 15, 1955, Ser. No. 501,636. Divided and this application Dec. 18, 1958, Ser. No.

Claims. 01. 53 2ss The present application is a division of my application on a Method of Manufacture and Installation of Glass and/or Ceramic Mosaics, Serial No. 501,636, filed April 15, 1955, now abandoned.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple apparatus for forming mosaics of a predetermined size. A chip-assembling unit is used that has two plates which are held apart in parallel relation by spacing members and these members in addition constitute boundaries for limiting the size of the mosaic formation. An elongated entrance opening for the chip-assembling unit is provided so that rigid chips can be fed into the space formed between the two parallel plates.

One of the novel features of the invention lies in the means for feeding a stream of chips in a single layer through the elongated entrance opening of the chip-as sembling unit the chips being moved into a single layer and parallel relationship with the planes of the plates and being aligned with the entrance opening by said means prior to entering the opening. The drawing illustrates a' gravity feed for the stream of chips as they move through the opening or slot and between the two parallelly-spaced apart plates. The plates maintain the chips in a single layer while permitting them to move freely and laterally if necessary to fill the entire width between the side boundaries of the chip-assembling unit. The chips in the stream interact against each other while moving in a general direction and will eventually cover the interior of the chip-assembling unit with a mosaic of chips. Each chip in the mosaic formation will contact with adjacent chips in at least one point.

Another novel feature of the invention lies in the ease of disassembling of a part of the apparatus after the mosaic of chips is formed to expose one entire face of the mosaic formation without disturbing the arrangement of the chips. The mosaic formation of chips then can be united together as a unit. I show one means of accomplishing this and that is to apply a backing sheet to the exposed face of the mosaic formation of chips. The backing sheet has one surface covered with an adhesive and it is this side of the sheet that is pressed down upon the mosaic of chips and causes the chips to adhere thereto. The removal of the sheet from the apparatus will also remove the single layer of chips and the adhesive will hold the latter in the same positions they occupied to form the mosaic.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds and the novel features will be particularly set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Drawings For a better understanding of my invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a chip-assembling unit of the hopper-feeding type wherein the chips are arranged in a plane;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of one of the plates utilized in the chip-assembling unit;

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of an adhesive-coated sheet of paper or cloth to which the chips are bonded during the carrying-out of the steps of the batch method;

3,013,370 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 FIGURES 4 and 5 are isometric views of various parts of the chip-assembling unit;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through a modified form of a batch chip-assembling unit of a roller-feeding type; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view disclosing the transferring and installing the chips on a cementitiouswall.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my apparatus, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Detailed description Referring to FIGURE 1, a chip-assembling unit G of one of the simpler forms of the invention is shown. This unit comprises two rectangular fiat plates 27 and 28 (thick plate glass will do and has certain advantages in that the operator can look through the glass and check on how the chips 26 are being assembled to form the mosaic). These plates are also shown in FlGURES 2, 4 and 5. The plate 27 is longer than the plate 28, and three rigid spacer strips 29 are fastened along three of its edges (see FIGURE 4). The spacer strips 29 are slightly thicker than the chips 26, such as chips of window glass of uniform thickness that are to be fed between the plates, and these strips act as spacers between the plates 27 and 28 and form the boundary for the size of the mosaic on three of its sides. The plates 27 and 28 will be held apart in parallel relation by the spacer strips 29 and I use clamps 30 to bind the plates together as a unit. The space between the plates will be closed on three sides by the strips and the fourth side will be open. FIGURE 1 shows the plates 27 and 23 arranged in a vertical position although the plates can be inclined and will function just as well.

A trough 31 is fastened to the plates 27 and 28 at the open end or top of the device. Thebottom edge 31a of the trough rests on the top edge of the shorter plate 28 and the spacer strips 29 keep this edge away from the longer plate 27. v The trough 31 has its ends bent at right angles to the length of the trough and these ends have inwardly extending flanges to clip behind the longer plate 27. This makes the trough readily removable from the plates 27 and 28.

At the bottom of the trough 31 a slot is provided by the space between the plates 27 and 28, and the length of the slot is equal to the distance between the side spacer strips 29. The trough defines a hopper which can be filled with chips 26 to a suitable level. Some of the chips will fall through this slot, but most of them will jam at the bottom of the trough. A tool resembling a long tined fork (not shown) can be used and be moved back and forth along the slot until the remaining chips in the trough are made parallel with the slot and will drop therethrough and into the space between the two glass plates 27 and28.

This process of filling the trough 31 with chips 26 and moving the timed fork along the slots to align the chips therewith, is repeated until the space between the plates 27 and 28 is filled to the desired level. It will be noted that the spacer strips 29 hold the plates 27 and 28 the correct distance apart to allow only a single layer of chips 26 to form. This method will produce a tight and uniform distribution of chips with the edges of adjacent chips touching each other at certain places. The general movement of the chips 26 is downward between the two glass plates, but as soon as the chips strike adjacent chips in their downward movement, they may be shifted laterally slightly to build up a mosaic form in the defined area formed by the plates 27 and 28 and the spacing border strips 29.

By making the plates out of glass, the filling of the space therebetween with chips 26 can be observed by the operator and he can make sure that the defined area is properly filled with chips and that there are no unnecessary voids in the mosaic form. There will be grout-receiving spaces between adjacent chips due to the irregular edges of the chips. After the chip-receiving unit G composed of the plates 27 and 28 and the spacing border strips 29 is filled with a single layer of chips 26 to the desired level, the trough 31 is removed and the clamped plates are placed on a suitable support and in a horizontal position, care being taken that the plate 27 is on the bottom. The clamps 30 and the top plate 28 are then removed. The results are shown in FIGURE 4.

A backing sheet 32 of paper or cloth and coated with a suitable adhesive 32a, see FIGURE 3, is then applied to the mosaic body of chips 26 with the adhesive side being pressed against the chips. As will more fully be explained, the adhesive 32a is preferably water soluble to permit the backing sheet to be moistened and removed from the chips at a later time. be applied by means of a brush or a soft roller (not shown), and this will press the adhesive against the chips. Any excess material of the sheet 32 may be trimmed off by running a razor blade along the inner edges of the border strips 29 and using a straight edge as a guide for trimming the top.

Next, the top plate 28, see FIGURE 2, is then replaced against the spacer strips 29 and the clamps 30 are again applied. The assembly is now turned over so that the plate 28 is now on the bottom. The clamps 30 are now disengaged and the plate 27 with its border strips 29 are removed. The results are shown in FIGURE 5. The chips may be further flattened and pressed into the adhesive 32a by using a steel roller (not shown) after which the paper or cloth 32 with the mosaic chips 26 are removed and allowed to dry. After drying, the sheets can be further out to size with shears or a hammer and a wide chisel applied to the paper side of the sheet.

In FIGURE 6, a modified chip-assembling unit G is shown, wherein the glass plates 27' and 28' are of the same length and a roller-hopper device 33 to 38 is substituted for the trough 31 in FIGURE 1. As disclosed, a hopper 35 has rollers 33 and 34 mounted at the bottom thereof, with these rollers being rotated in opposite directions to each other. The purpose of the rollers is to eliminate the jamming of the chips that takes place when a trough 31 alone is used. After the plates 27' and 28 are assembled, in the manner previously described in connection with FIGURE 1, with the spacing strips 29 therebetween, they are placed in a vertical position under the fixed roller-hopper device 33 to '38. A rabbeted guide 36 receives the top edge of the plate 27 and a second guide 37 is spaced from the guide 36 and bears against the top edge of the plate 28. Sliding pins 38 in the lower edge of the second guide 37 are used for contacting the outer face of the plate 28 and holding the chipassembling unit G so that its chip-receiving area will be aligned with the slot 38 provided between the guides 27' and 28. The motor driven geared rollers 33 and 34 are rotated in the direction of the arrows in FIGURE 6, so that their adjacent surfaces will move upwardly and away from the slot 38. After the rollers have been put in motion, the chips 26 are fed to the hopper 35. The opening between the rollers will allow chips to pass if they are positioned so that their faces will parallel the inner faces of the plates 27' and 28. Any other chips which would normally jam are thrown upwardly and away from the opening 38' by the action of the revolving rollers and this will continue until the chips are turned into parallel arrangement with the slots 38' and will fall into the space between the plates 27 and 28' while being maintained in this correct position.

The chips 26 in their downward movement will pass between the guides 36 and 37 and through the slot 38' which has the same width as the opening between the The pressure on the sheet 32 may geared rollers 33 and 34. The width of the slot 38 is the same as the distance between the plates 27 and 28. While the general movement of the chips 26 in the chipassembly unit G is downward, the chips will be moved laterally when coming into contact with adjacent chips and the result will be the forming of a mosaic of chips in the unit. When enough chips 26 have passed to fill the space between the plates 27' and 28', the rotation of the rollers 33 and 34 is stopped and the pins 38 slid back so that the clamped plates 27 and 28 can be removed. The plates are then placed in a horizontal position on a suitable support and the remaining steps of the process are repeated as set forth for the batch chipassembling unit G, and illustrated in FIGURES 2 to 5 inclusive.

FIGURE 7 shows a method by which the chips 26 mounted on the paper 32 may be permanently fastened to a wall surface 39. On its exterior surface, the wall 39 should be concrete or Portland cement plastered. If the concrete walls are uneven, they can be straightened with a coat of cement plaster in accordance with the usual trade practices. After the wall 39 has been placed in condition to receive the paper-mounted chips, a bonding coat 40, preferably with a Portland cement base, is applied to the wall 39 in an even layer of about 4; inch or less in thickness. The bonding coat may be colored, if desired, and if the chips 26 are made of a clear glass, this color will show through the chips. The area that can be covered by the bonding coat 40 in a continuous application will depend on the rate of absorption of the wall and the drying conditions prevailing. Of course the bonding coat 40 must be in a plastic state when the sheets of paper-mounted chips are applied. The sheets are placed against this plastic coat 40 with the paper side 32 outermost. The chips 26 are embedded into the bonding coat by applying pressure with a trowel or a roller as needed to the paper backing.

After the sheets of paper-mounted chips are applied, the paper is moistened. The moisture penetrates the paper to soften the adhesive 32:: and this permits the paper to be removed, leaving the chips 26 exposed and embedded in the bonding coat 40. When the bonding coat has hardened sufiiciently, the exposed surface of the chips 26 is washed and a colored grouting coat may be applied. The grouting will fill all the spaces between adjacent chips so that a smooth exterior surface of chips and grouting will be the result.

In FIGURE 7, the reference letters H and J designate two panels of paper mounted chips. Panel H shows the removal of the paper 32 from the chips 26 embedded in the bonding coat 40 after the paper has been moistened to loosen the adhesive 32a. Panel I shows the papermounted chips being applied to the bonding coat 40 be fore the chips are embedded in the bonding coat by troweling or by a roller. For interiors, other materials may be used for a bonding coat than Portland cement.

Although, I have referred to transparent glass chips, it will be apparent that various colored glass or ceramic chips may be employed. Even opaque materials, such as chips resulting from thin sheets of ceramic materials, clay, etc., may be used. The use of colored bonding material that will show through clear or tinted glass may be utilized so that the chips will appear to be colored.

In the manufacture of precast slabs, the paper mounted glass chips are placed on a suitable support with the chip side up and a bonding coat is then applied to the chips after which cementitious materials are added to form the proper thickness of the slab. When the slab has hardened sufiiciently, it is turned over and the paper is removed, leaving the glass chips exposed.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for the manufacture of mosaics: a pair of upwardly-extending parallel plates, each defining an upper end and an opposite lower end; these plates being disposed in spaced relation with one another to define a passageway extending from an upper inlet end toward an opposite lower end, and through which a stream of rigid chips of substantially uniform thickness may be advanced edgewise; the plates being separated one from the other at a distance only slightly more than the thickness of the chips, whereby the chips will be confined in substantially the same plane as they are advanced; a pair of spaced upwardly extending side strips interposed between the plates, and being disposed adjacent to the lateral side edges of the plates to constitute side boundaries for the stream of chips; the upper inlet end of the passageway being open the full width of the distance between the side spacing strips to define an elongated entrance slot for the passageway; means for simultaneously feeding chips into the passageway between the plates throughout the entire length of the entrance slot extending between the side spacing strips; and a bottom spacing strip disposed between the lower ends of the plates to extend between the side spacing strips, and against which the leading chips in the stream may abut to arrest their downward advancement, whereby succeeding chips will be progressively bunched against the arrested chips therebelow; the passageway being unobstructed between the side spacing strips, whereby the chips may move laterally when coming in contact with arrested chips, and thereby close spacious voids in the mosaic pattern of chips assembled in the passageway.

2. The apparatus for the manufacture of mosaics, as set forth in claim 1; and in which clamps are provided to bind the plates upon the interposed spacing strips; the spacing strips being rigid, whereby the plates will remain in spaced relation with one another at a distance slightly more than the thickness of the chips, when the clamps are applied to the plates; the clamps being removable, whereby the assembled mosaic of chips will be exposed.

3. The apparatus for the manufacture of mosaics, as set forth in claim 1; and in which the means for feeding the chips into the passageway between the plates consists of a hopper disposed above the upper ends of the plates for holding a supply of the chips; the hopper having an elongated outlet at its bottom of a length coextensive with the distance between side spacing strips and having a width equal to the distance separating the two parallel plates; the outlet of the hopper registering and communicating with the entrance slot at the upper ends of the plates; the outlet of the hopper being so disposed that the the chips extending the entire length of the entrance slot at the upper ends of the plates.

5. The apparatus for the manufacture of mosaics, as set forth in claim 1; and in which the means for feeding chips comprises: a hopper device provided at the upper ends of the plates for receiving a supply of the chips; the hopper device having an outlet slot at its bottom; and a pair of spaced-apart parallel rollers mounted above the outlet slot of the hopper device; the axes of rotation of the rollers paralleling the length of the elongated entrance slot provided between the plates; the adjacent peripheral sections of the pair of rollers being spaced from one another at a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the chips, whereby chips will descend therebetween if they are positioned so that their faces will substantially parallel the inner surfaces of the plates; the rollers being driven so that their adjacent peripheral surfaces will move upwardly and away from the entrance slot between the plates so that misaligned chips, which normally would jam the entrance slot, will be thrown upwardly and away from the entrance slot by the action of the revolving rollers, until the chips are turned into parallel arrangement with the entrance slot and will fall into the passageway between the plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,819,740 Davis Aug. 18, 1931 1,836,385 Munday Dec. 15, 1931 2,668,328 Porter Feb. 9, 1954 2,671,568 Rundt Mar. 9, 1954 2,704,265 Lyon Mar. 15, 1955 2,728,939 Behr Jan. 3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 716,026 Great Britain Sept. 29, 1954 

